I worked in Japan for more than 12 years in the eighties and nineties, in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo with the U. S. State Department, Citibank and Merrill Lynch. After many more years in China in banking (Deutsche Bank and Ping An Bank) and consulting, I am back in Tokyo conducting the business of Yangtze Century Ltd. (Hong Kong/Shanghai) and producing this blog. E-mail me at smharnerco@yahoo.com.

Self Defense Force officials studied intelligence and heard briefings on intrusions of three Chinese navy ships into waters around the Senkaku Islands claimed by Japan as its “exclusive economic zone” (EEZ).

The three Chinese ships had entered Japan’s EEZ waters after 4 a.m. on the 11th. They were met, followed, and ordered out of the EEZ by Japanese Self Defense Force ships. They finally departed just after 8 a.m.

Later in the day, Japan’s deputy foreign minister summoned the Chinese ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and delivered a formal protest over the Chinese “intrusion.”

At the time, Japan’s foreign minister, Gemba Koichiro, was in Phnom Penh attending the ASEAN foreign ministers’ summit. That day, the 11th, Gemba met in a hotel with Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi. The meeting was scheduled to take 30 minutes. It continued for 50 minutes.

This could not have been a pleasant meeting. Very likely, it was lacking in the normal diplomatic decorum. Seemingly overnight, Japan-China relations have turned icy, bitter, and emotionally charged.

The Gemba-Yang meeting was the first since Prime Minister Noda announced on July 7 that it had become Japanese policy for the central government to purchase the uninhabited Senkaku islands–now privately owned by Japanese interests and administered by Okinawa prefecture–that are also claimed by China, which calls the chain “Diaoyutai.”

Gemba’s talking points with Yang were scripted by Noda who had told reporters on July 7: “There can be no doubt that the Senkaku Islands are part of Japanese territory, both under international law and from a historical point of view. The Senkakus are under the effective control of our nation, and there is no territorial issue with any country over the islands.” (The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 8.)

How Yang responded we can only guess. We can imagine that the two men talked—or shouted—past each other, uttering almost identical, conflicting positions.

The incursion of the three Chinese vessels was plainly a response to Noda’s announcement, and a signal from China that “nationalization” of the islands by Japan would be met by further escalation.

Tokyo mayor Ishihara Shintaro first touted in April the idea of purchasing the islands, now owned by a man from Saitama prefecture, by Tokyo municipality. Since then he has continued to advance this idea, setting up a special team in the Tokyo government under his direct control, and raising donations from around the country that reportedly now total more than JPY 1.3 billion (USD 165 million).

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Good article Mr Harner. I agree with much of what you said. However I don’t think it is purely about resources and resource development. But these factors no doubt increased the will of both parties to confront each other.

Nice article, Mr. Harner. But I have to disagree with you on one point you made, which was that Japan aggravated the situation on Senkaku. China and South Korea has made it their frontline issue for over a decade, while Japan only recently is responding to those accusations. In general, Japanese don’t get too emotional over these type of subjects (We have islands we need to take back from the Russians as well, but we never protest like Chinese or Koreans), unless pushed to the edge like in this case.

China and Russia deal with territorial disputes very differently. Have you heard any Japanese officials landed on the disputed islands? Give it a try to see what will happen! The reason that China and S Korea protest a lot is because of Japanese constant provocations and atrocities committed by the Japanese! It’s obvious that the problems can’t be resolved now no mater how Japanese game it. It’s smart to stop the provocations and keep the status quo. Human being may evolve enough to solve the issue peacefully in the future!

I don’t know what the average Japanese thinks. But I don’t think the average Chinese or Korean are protesting against the average Japanese. So what you are saying is really beside the point.

I agree with Mr Harner and the Japanese ambassador that the latest provocation from Japan would destabilize the region.

(By the way, there are about 130,000 Japanese living in China. I assume they all have friends there. So I guess that proves that the average Chinese don’t normally protest against the average Japanese)

I am getting real tired of China, Japan has a better equipped navy along with the US presense in the whole of the Pacific. China needs a lesson, they display typical arrogance. Their bullying in the region will only be tolerated for so long, the Chinese are trying to take islands from 2 other countries now, Japan and the Philippines. The US will not allow this to continue for much longer and will eventually teach them a lesson. The US has been moving more and more assets into the region. The Chinese have so much land that there has to be somewhere in that country they can get everything they could ever need….I hope no shooting happens but China needs their nose bloodied….

Mike, you really ought to read my post again, I have no dam idea what the hell you’re talking about because your reply to has NOTHING to do with what I was asking…..are you feeling alright?….or were you that day?…..sheesh…

Thank you for your comment. I agree that until recently Japan acted with relative restraint and avoided actions that would escalate the dispute. My deep concern is that this cautious stance has been abandoned during the past few months. By taking up Ishihara’s proposal to “nationalize” the islands, and making this a state policy, the Noda government has essentially thrown down the gauntlet to China. I cannot see how this situation can be resolved without the crisis about which Ambassador Niwa spoke.